What if Sega hired big name voice actors for the Sonic Adventure games?

[EmTiven01]

Instead of completely unknown voice actors like Ryan Drummond, Corey Bringas and Jennifer Doulliard, what if the Adventure games featured more seasoned talent like Rob Paulsen, Jim Cummings and Tara Strong?

Here's my choices regarding the whole question:

 

• Sonic - Jason Marsden
• Tails - Mary Kay Bergman
• Knuckles - Rob Paulsen
• Amy - Jennifer Hale
• Big - Brad Garrett
• E-102 Gamma and Pachacamac - Corey Burton
• Dr. Eggman - Tim Curry
• Tikal - Kath Soucie
• Shadow - Cam Clarke
• Rouge and Omochao - Tara Strong
• Maria - Christine Cavanaugh
• Professor Gerald - Alan Oppenheimer

What do you guys think?

 

[Shaddy Zaphod]

Shilling out stacks of cash for more famous names is a poor practice, and especially would have been in the late 90s when gaming as a medium wasn't exactly famous for its rock-solid cinematic narratives. Every cast on the Sonic series (except some of the literal children) has eventually shown themselves to have talent, they're just usually harmed by a lack of proper vocal direction and poor scripting, and inevitably, the "more seasoned talent" you're listing would have faced the same challenges. It's not like Liam Neeson just suddenly became a boring performer in The Phantom Menace, after all.

[Eggman Fan]

1 hour ago, EmTiven01 said:

Instead of completely unknown voice actors like Ryan Drummond, Corey Bringas and Jennifer Doulliard, what if the Adventure games featured more seasoned talent like Rob Paulsen, Jim Cummings and Tara Strong?

Here's my choices regarding the whole question:

• Sonic - Jason Marsden
• Tails - Mary Kay Bergman
• Knuckles - Rob Paulsen
• Amy - Jennifer Hale
• Big - Brad Garrett
• E-102 Gamma and Pachacamac - Corey Burton
• Dr. Eggman - Tim Curry
• Tikal - Kath Soucie
• Shadow - Cam Clarke
• Rouge and Omochao - Tara Strong
• Maria - Christine Cavanaugh
• Professor Gerald - Alan Oppenheimer

What do you guys think?

Wrong, Maria is being played by chris pratt

[Blue Blood]

2 hours ago, EmTiven01 said:

Instead of completely unknown voice actors like Ryan Drummond, Corey Bringas and Jennifer Doulliard, what if the Adventure games featured more seasoned talent like Rob Paulsen, Jim Cummings and Tara Strong?

Here's my choices regarding the whole question:

• Sonic - Jason Marsden
• Tails - Mary Kay Bergman
• Knuckles - Rob Paulsen
• Amy - Jennifer Hale
• Big - Brad Garrett
• E-102 Gamma and Pachacamac - Corey Burton
• Dr. Eggman - Tim Curry
• Tikal - Kath Soucie
• Shadow - Cam Clarke
• Rouge and Omochao - Tara Strong
• Maria - Christine Cavanaugh
• Professor Gerald - Alan Oppenheimer

What do you guys think?

Not everyone is familiar with voice actors and even less so with their individual ranges. Instead of just posting lists of names, could you please also include some examples of their work? 

And I think it's probably a bit fruitless to consider who sega could have hypothetically hired in the 90s. It would make more sense to talk about your ideal choices in general. 

 

[VO.SUPER]

I would have found it interesting if SEGA hired Union actors back in the day, and it would have been a nice gesture, but unlikely. 

 

[EmTiven01]

20 hours ago, Blue Blood said:

Not everyone is familiar with voice actors and even less so with their individual ranges. Instead of just posting lists of names, could you please also include some examples of their work? 

And I think it's probably a bit fruitless to consider who sega could have hypothetically hired in the 90s. It would make more sense to talk about your ideal choices in general. 

Well, Jason Marsden is best-known for being the voice of Max Goof so I imagine his distinctive voice COULD fit Sonic and his carefree and laid back demeanor.

Mary Kay Bergman voiced every single female character in South Park, Daphne Blake from the first three DTV Scooby Doo movies, and Disney's Snow White from 1989 to 1999. In addition, she voiced Timmy Turner in the Oh Yeah Cartoons Fairly OddParents shorts so I can see her putting on a boyish voice for Tails. Sadly, Mary Kay is no longer with us as she committed suicide in 1999 due to severe mental illness.

Rob Paulsen did the voices for Raphael from the 80s Ninja Turtles series, Yakko Warner from Animaniacs, and Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron.

I could list roles for every VA mentioned, but I would be here forever. Are these good enough?

[Blue Blood]

2 hours ago, EmTiven01 said:

 

I could list roles for every VA mentioned, but I would be here forever. Are these good enough?

Thanks. You could just embed video examples or link to pages on Behind The Voices Actors. That would be easier for you and even more helpful for anyone reading your posts. 

 

[Tornado]

No amount of voice talent was going to save awful voice direction.

[Wittymations]

They could have, sure. It'd be expensive and risky, financially, but they could have. It wouldn't really have much in the way of a pay off, though. Games are typically remembered for their gameplay first. Voice acting is generally pretty low on the list. By like... a lot.

We're more critical now, but back then, its wasn't really expected. And in some sense, we look back pretty fondly at cheesy voice work. Besides, some of Sonic Adventure's work is okay. Particularly with the second game (don't get me wrong, it has some definite cheese, but better.)

And this has helped to give some of them an actual career.

 

  

On 7/5/2022 at 2:21 AM, EmTiven01 said:

what if the Adventure games featured more seasoned talent ... Jim Cummings

 

• Dr. Eggman - Tim Curry

 

Weird you mentioned Cummings and then go for someone completely different when Jim Cummings already voiced a version of Dr. Robotnik. Not saying Mr. Curry couldn't do a good job, I really just know him as Nigel "Smashing" Thornberry, just odd to mention Cummings and go the other direction.

 

[Styx_Linoone]

Every one of these voice actors (bar Kath Soucie and Tim Curry on their work for SatAM) never worked on the Sonic series so it's a risky endeavor to see how well they'll voice the characters well.

[King Conne]

My pleasure is to play with the original Japanese voices and the subtitles (Fren or English), so I really don't need "big" voice actors, that's Hollywood, not Sonic's roots!!...

[castell-neath]

It HAS to be an 80s mega star reebot:

Christopher Lloyd as Eggman,

Eddie Murphy as Sonic, Michael J Fox as Tails, Al Pacino as Knuckles,

Robert DiNero as Shadow, Sigourney Weaver as Rouge, Arine as Omega,

Goldie Hawn as Amy, John Candy as Big, Winona Ryder as Cream

Bill Murray as Vector, Bruce Willis as Espio, Corey Feldman as Charmy

Rick Moranis as Orbot, Sly Stallone as Cubot

Tom Cruise as Silver, Daryl Hannah as Blaze

Tom Hanks as Gun commander, Bette Middler as Maria, Danny DeVitto as Prof Gerald

William Defoe as Black Doom, Jack Nicholson as Chip, Michael Caine as Prof Pickle

I give up now lol

[Rognog]

On 8/9/2022 at 4:17 PM, castell-neath said:

It HAS to be an 80s mega star reebot:

Christopher Lloyd as Eggman,

Eddie Murphy as Sonic, Michael J Fox as Tails, Al Pacino as Knuckles,

Robert DiNero as Shadow, Sigourney Weaver as Rouge, Arine as Omega,

Goldie Hawn as Amy, John Candy as Big, Winona Ryder as Cream

Bill Murray as Vector, Bruce Willis as Espio, Corey Feldman as Charmy

Rick Moranis as Orbot, Sly Stallone as Cubot

Tom Cruise as Silver, Daryl Hannah as Blaze

Tom Hanks as Gun commander, Bette Middler as Maria, Danny DeVitto as Prof Gerald

William Defoe as Black Doom, Jack Nicholson as Chip, Michael Caine as Prof Pickle

I give up now lol

And Arnold Schwarzenegger as Perfect Chaos

[castell-neath]

3 hours ago, Rognog said:

And Arnold Schwarzenegger as Perfect Chaos

I had him down as Omega....seemed too obvious a connection lol

 

[Rognog]

19 hours ago, castell-neath said:

I had him down as Omega....seemed too obvious a connection lol

lmao I didn't see that, your casting of Arnie makes much more sense. But I just want to see Super Eddie Murphie fight a giant screaming Schwarzenegger

[EmTiven01]

On a side note, didn't the Crash Bandicoot games on PS1 have major voice talent?